Semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine



Jan. 14, 1941. H. G. MARTIN I SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEGRAPHIC SENDING MACHINEFiled April 4, 1940 INVENTOR Zomve 177M751 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 14,1941 pairs sra'r SEMEAUTQMATIC TELE GRAPHIC SENDIN G MACHINE Horace G.Martin, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 4, 1940, Serial No. 327,757

15 Glaims.

The present invention relates to improvements in semiautomatictelegraphic sending machines of the type disclosed in the United StatesPatent #l,4=45,226 generally known as the Martin machines, and moreparticularly to the construction of the contact making key operatedlever mechanismand its supporting means.

As is well known, machines of this type are generally individually ownedby the operators who carry them from place to place to be plugged inwherever necessary for operation. As hitherto constructed themanufacture of these machines is somewhat expensive, partly due tonumerous parts requiring finishing and polishing.

My invention, therefore, has for its main object to greatly simplify theconstruction of said machine, so as to reduce the number of parts andalso save material, thereby rendering the machines lessexpensive andmore compact and, therefore, more convenient to be transported fromplace to place than the hitherto used machines.

In the accompanying drawing which constitutes part of this specificationand in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section thereof, along line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar section to Figure 2 of a slightly modifiedconstruction;

Figure 4 is a top plan View of another modification and Figure 5 is asectional elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing more in detail and first to the structure shownin Figures 1 and 2,

It denotes the metal base of the machine which is provided with rubberfeet or rests I I. Fixedly mounted on or formed integrally with saidbase is a boss 52 which serves as a support for the operating mechanism.This mechanism comprises two levers extending longitudinally of the baseand adapted to bear upon one another in a vertically superposedposition. Lever l3 has attached to its rear end the insulated hand andthumb pieces I5 and It and an electric contact point H which incooperation with an adjustable stationary contact piece I8 provided inthe post I9 serves for the transmission of dash signals. The forward endof said, lever is formed to a circular disk I3a. The second lever I4 hasattached to its forward end by a leaf spring 20 the weight controlledvibratory rod 2I carrying the resiliently supported contact point 22which in well-known mannerthrough the vibration of the rod 2I cooperateswith the stationary adjustable contact piece 23 provided in the post 24to produce the dot signals. 30 and 3| are adjustable stops arranged atboth sides of the lever I4 to regulate the extent of movement of thelever I4.

Like lever I3, this lever I4 is formed at its rear part to a circulardisk Ma. These two disk shaped portions I3a and I la are adapted to bearupon one another and to be suitably centered on the boss I2, as by abolt or pin 25, which projects through central bores of said disks andthrough a vertical bore provided in the boss I2. The lower end of thebolt may be formed with a small head 25a to bear on the upper face ofdisk Ma of the lever I4. Projecting from the rear edge of the diskshaped portion I la of the lever I4 substantially parallel to butslightly spaced in lateral direction from the lever I3 is an abutment ortail member I4b. A set screw 21 projecting through a bore in the saidmember I4?) and fixed to lever I 3 carries a coil spring 28 which bearsat one end against a nut 29 working on said screw and at the other endagainst said extension MD. This spring is adapted to normally hold leverI3 against the rear extension I4b of lever I4.

A suitable anti-friction bearing is provided between the disks I3a andMa of the levers I3 and I4. According to the modification shown inFigure 2, this bearing comprises a concentric annular rounded bead I30provided on one of said disks, as Ito, and adapted to rotatively engagea correspondingly shaped groove I40 provided in the opposite disk, as Ila.

The operationof the machine is the same as in the patent hereinbeforereferred to. Normally the rear portion of the lever I3 through thetension of the spring 28 is held in contact with the rear extension I41)of the lever I4. For sending a dash message the operator by grasping thehand and thumb pieces I5 and I 6 swings the lever I3 on its verticalaxis around the bolt 25 until its contact point I1 is brought intocontact with the stationary contact point I8. During this movement thelever I4 remains stationary resting against the stop 30. For sending dotmessages the lever I3 is swung in the opposite direction to act againstthe abutment I41) of the lever I4 thereby swinging the latter on itsvertical axis until it strikes the stop 3|. As a result thereof theweight regulated rod 2I with its resilient contact point 22 is set intovibratory motion repeatedly making and breaking the contact betweenitself and the stationary contact 23, the number of dot signals to besent depending upon the length of time the lever I4 is kept in contactwith the stop 3 I. Upon the release of the hand pieces I5, I6 the spring32 mounted around the stop 3| will return the parts to the normalposition and the forward end of the rod 2| will be brought in contactwith a dampening roller 34 to stop further vibrations.

In the modification shown in Figure 3 instead of the annular bead andgroove shown in Figure 2, a suitable ball bearing 33 is used. As shownin this modification annular beads and grooves may also be providedbetween the bearing services of the head 25b of the bolt and upper faceof the disk I4 of lever I4 and between the boss or block 12a and thelower face of disk I3 of lever I3, the same serving to further reducefriction between these parts, when the levers are moved. The head of thebolt as well as the bearing surface of the boss, in practice, are ofsuch small diameter that friction between these parts is negligible andmeans for reducing friction for these parts can be dispensed with, as inFigure 2. However, the bearing surface between the disks I3a, Ida aremade comparatively larger in order to steady them in their superposedposition and, therefore, suitable anti-fraction means, as those shown inFigures 2 and 3 are indispensable.

By arranging the levers in superposed position many parts in the oldstructures are eliminated, thereby considerably simplifying themanufacture and reducing the cost thereof.

A still further simplification of the machine is obtained by themodification shown in Figures 4 and 5. Here the rear lever I3 isarranged in longitudinal extension of and yieldingly connected to thelever I4 as by a short leaf spring 35. The lever I4 may be provided withthe disk shaped portion, as in the modification hereinbefore described,and there may be either the ball bearing 33 or other friction reducingmeans between said disk and boss I2. The leaf spring 35 has one endsuitably fixed in a slit of the rear end of the lever I4 or its diskshaped portion and its other end in a slit of lever I3 as shown inFigure 4.

The spring 29 normally hold the lever I3 in contact with the tail orabutment Ib of the lever I4 against the tension of the leaf spring 35.

The leaf spring 35 permits the movement of lever I3 in two directions,in one direction to close contacts l1, IE to produce dash signalswithout affecting the lever I4, and in the opposite to act on lever Itfor producing dot signals.

What I claim:

1. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, the combination with a base, of a boss projecting upwardlyfrom said base, a contact operating lever mechanism comprising a handleoperated contact lever, a vibratory contact carrying lever actuated bysaid handle lever, both levers being formed with relatively flatsurfaces rotatively bearing upon one another and on said boss andfriction reducing means directly between the opposite faces of saidsurfaces.

2. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, according to claim 1, in which said flat surfaces are formedby disk shaped portions between them.

3. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, according to claim 1, in which said flat surfaces are formedby disk shaped portions and have a ball bearing located directly betweenthem.

4. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, according to claim 1, in which said flat surfaces are formedby disk shaped portions and in which a friction reducing means isprovided between said disk shaped portions and a friction reducing meansbetween the lower one of said portions and said supporting boss.

5. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, according to claim 1, in which said flat surfaces are formedby disk shaped portions rotatively supported on said boss and in which acentering pin fixed to said base projects through said boss and saiddisk shaped portions.

6. In a telegraphic sending machine, a support, handle operated contactlever, and a vibratory contact lever, both said levers having relativelybroad disk shaped flat portions adapted to rotatively bear upon oneanother and to be centered on said support.

7. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, the combination of a base, an upright stationary support onsaid base, contact levers, each formed with a flange, both said flangesbeing rotatively mounted in superposed position on said stationarysupport and friction reducing means directly between the opposite facesof said flanges.

8. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, the combination of a base, a stationary support thereon,contact levers, each formed with a flange, both said flanges beingrotatively mounted in superposed position on said stationary support,friction reducing means directly between the opposite faces of saidflanges and friction reducing means directly between the lower one ofsaid flanges and said support.

9. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, the combination of a support, a contact operating mechanismcomprising a non-vibratory manually operated lever, a second leveradapted to be actuated by said first-named lever, one of said leversbeing formed with a flange rotatively mounted on said support, aresilient joint between said flange and said second lever and meanswhereby said second-named lever will transmit motion to said flrst namedlever when swung in a certain direction.

10. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine, according to claim9, in which said lastnamed means include an abutment projecting from theedge of said flange and against which said second lever acts to transmitmotion to said first-named lever.

11. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine of the characterdescribed, the combination of a stationary upright support, a stationaryupright pin in said support, contact levers having flanges rotativelymounted on said support and centered on said stationary pin and frictionreducing means directly between the opposite faces of said flanges.

12. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine, according to claim11 in which the opposite face of each of said flanges is provided with acircular groove, to receive balls and constitute with the latteranti-friction bearings for said levers.

13. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine, according to claim11, in which one of said flanges is provided with a circular bead andthe otherwith a corresponding groove adapted 7 to rotatively engage saidhead and in cooperation therewith to constitute an anti-friction bearingfor said levers.

14. In a semiautomatic telegraphic sending machine, an upright support,having a relatively broad bearing surface, vertically superposed contactlevers, each formed with a correspondingly broad bearing surface,anti-friction means directly between the opposite faces of the bearingsurfaces of said levers and anti-friction means between the bearingsurface of said support and the bearing face of the lower lever.

and means for centering and tightening said 10 levers on said support.

HORACE G. MARTIN.

